Using old grad credits for masters degree

Hoping to tap into the collective wisdom out there for some help. I have 18 masters credits in Political Science from Notre Dame that I picked up 11 years ago while enrolled in a Phd progran that I (foolishly) dropped out of. Does anyone know of a DL and/or cheap method to help translate these into a Masters in either Government or Poli Sci? I'm open to all suggestions.

 

American Public University offers a Masters in Political Science http://www.apu.apus.edu/Academics/Degree-Programs/index.htm

Their catalog says they will accept up to 15 credits but do not specify a time limit. Look at their program and if interested contact them with your questions.

 

I would like to ask the reverse question: i started a grad program where my head wasn't in it. Consequently, I got 2 Cs and 1 B, before leaving.
Do I have to "disclose" it to another university, or can I just tell them about my B.S only? Would they have a way to find out?
I don't care to transfer those credits. Am I obliged to do that, or can I "discard" them?
Thanks for any advice.

 

Most schools want transcripts of all prior academic work, but in reality, there is no way they can check every other school to see if you attended there.

 

Must the degree so state or will a degree in General Studies or the like suffice? How you intend to use the degree may be the determinant as there are many GS, MLS or similar master's degrees.

American Public University should soon be regionally accredited but is for now DETC.

 

You likely oblige yourself as per contract with the school. Bruce is right but if they do discover your omission then they will be within their rights to deny you your degree. Don't know that that happens but you should be aware of the possibility.

 

Excelsior has a Masters in Liberal Arts and takes 18 credits

 

Look at Skidmore College's policy on transferring credit into their Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. It doesn't specifically state whether older courses will be accepted, but that is the case in their undergraduate program. http://www.skidmore.edu/mals/admissions/faq_admissions.htm#7

 

Most public schools have a 7 year time limit, however, I think that depends on the department also. It should be in the school's graduate catalog.

Why do you say "foolishly" dropped out?

 

Yep, 5-7 years max is the norm for most transfer credits. Other than Excelsior or the possibility of APU not having a time limit on transfer credits. That is what sucks about graduate credits, not many institutions will allow you to "piggy back" your credits to another school! If these two don't appeal to you, than your adventure will begin from "the ground up".

Come to think about it, that is probably the main reason why so much politics appears after the undergrad years...people begin smoochin' butt to stay alive fom a fear of loosing all the time and money invested. Try to envision walking thru the hallowed halls of your typical graduate program while the BeeGee's song "Staying Alive" is ringing in you ears!

Maybe that is perhaps why Excelsior is probably doing so well with their program....no time limit... a rolling out of the welcome mat to those who left for whatever reasons.

Gavin

 

A couple years ago I was in discussion with the head of the Master of Liberal Studies program at the University of Toledo, and he said he would have no problem transferring in some humanities graduate credits (9 hours out of a required 33) of mine from SUNY Stony Brook that were 20 years old. Bless him.

It's a program worth checking out; better name recognition than many of the DL master's programs in liberal studies. The profs are all regular U-Toledo faculty, of some accomplishment.

Peter

 

Most graduate schools will only transfer in up to about 9 credits and all work applied to the degree must be no more than about five or seven years old. However, according to John and Mariah Bear's, _Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning_, 14th edition (2001), Fort Hays State University www.fhsu.edu has a Master of Liberal Studies program that will transfer in up to 21 credits. And they do have a Political Science concentration.

 

You may do as you wish. If you look at the bottom of your typical graduate school application, you will see that you warrant that you are giving true, correct, and complete information. So, yes, if you failed to admit washing out of a previous graduate program, they would be within their legal rights to drop you from the program. In the real world, when I was a full-time residential graduate student, while in a meeting with my department chair (the meeting was about something else), I mentioned to him that I had neglected to list on my application a previous incomplete attempt at a master's degree elsewhere. He said that he wouldn't use that as grounds to terminate me from the program (though I did, unfortunately, later end up dropping out with a brain tumor).